Collapsible reel



Feb. 9, 1960 M. G. STEELE COLLAPSIBLE REEL Filed April 2, 1956 INVENTOR Mum/c5 575545 ATTORNEYS U ited States Patent COLLAPSIBLE REEL Application April 2, 1956, Serial No. 575,526

4 Claims. 01. 242-115 This invention relates to collapsible reels, spools and the likeused. for the packaging of wire and cable and the shipping of wire and cable. The term reel connotes end members or flanges which extend radially beyond a cross member or core intermediate the ends which provides the surface around which a length of wire or cable'is wound- This cross member is referred to herein as a core or drum but it will be understood that it does notneed to have. a continuous surface and while usually cylindrical in form it is not necessarily so and can be polygonal in cross section. It will be further understood that a length of wire or cable can be wound directly around a drum or'spool having very low end flanges or none at all, t

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned kind which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. and may be scrapped when the wire or cable has been unwound from it- Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be automatically disassembled when a shipment of wire or cable has been unwound from it.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a device of the above described kind which will have optimum strength and durability when wire or cable is wound.

on it but will suddenly lose its strength and collapse when the last turn of wire is removed, thus facilitating disposal of the elements, comprising it.

' The invention will best be understood if the following'description is read in connection with the drawings,

showing are assembled around suitable backing means to provide a drum;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing staves which are straight in cross section instead of curved as inFigure 3.

' Figure 5 is a modification ofthe drum forming means shown in Figures 3 and 4 indicating a length of sheet n'iateriaisuch for' example as a strip of wood veneer which may be bent around backing means to provide a Figure 6 is a perspective view of a band for tightening the drum forming means against support means.

Figure 7. is an enlarged detail view partly in section of a portion of Figure 1 showing means for interengag ing drum forming means and backing means.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a clasp member for theband shown'inFigure 6.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a strut member which coacts with the clasp member shown in Figure 8 for tensioning and'releasing' the band.

Figure 10 is, a diagrammatic view illustrating the first step in the use of the clasp and strut members for tighten ing the band.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the position of the clasp and strut members after they have placed the band under tension.

Figure 12 is a view in perspective of a tripping lever for unclasping the clasp means, and

Figure 13 is. a view similar to Figures 10 and 11 illustrating the raising of the strut and clasp members by the tripping lever to thereby release the band from tension and initiate collapsing of the assembly.

This invention comprises positioning means, forming a core or drum around which a length of wire or cable may be wound, against backing means and holding the core or drum against the backing means by releasable means so that the assembly may be readily collapsed and disassembled. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the assembly of backing means 10 and core or drum 12 is disposed between two ends 14 forming a reel which when assembled has the general appear ance of the non-collapsible reels, which are used at the present time for packaging and shipping lengths of wire and cable. Such non-collapsible reels are stoutly made and are conventionally returned by the purchaser of the wire or cable to the manufacturer to be used again and again. costly to make but costly to return for they are bulky and occupy costly shipping space.

A drum or spool may be formed by a-number of staves 16 or 16a, or by a flexible sheet member such as, member 18 illustrated in Figure 5.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 7 the backing means 10 is provided by disks 20, the peripheral edges of which are spaced inwardly from the end members 14 respectively. The periphery of the disks 20 is defined by an inwardly inclining angular edge 22. If staves 16 or 16a are employed they are provided on the under side adjacent their ends respectively with the clamping trans verse grooves 24 adapted to receive the peripheral edge of the backing disks 20 respectively. Preferably the clamping transverse grooves 24 are substantially the same shape as the peripheral edge of the backing disks 20 but slightly wider providing a slight clearance for ease in assembling the staves against the backing disks. If the drum is formed of a unitary flexible sheet such for example as a sheet of wood veneer, it will be provided with the transverse grooves 24 adjacent its lateral edges and will be bent around the backing means 20 and assembled against them in the same manner as thestaves.

It will be understood that in some instances, as for example for a short length of wire, a drum or core may be formed using backing means, which may be similar to disks 20 and employed without end members or with end members of only slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the drum. It is prefered however to use end members of substantially greater diameter than the drum, particularly where the wire or cable is long enough to form a number of layers or turns around the drum. Such end members may be of wood, metal, fiber or any suitable and preferably inexpensive material.

The drum forming means whether it be the staves 16 or 16a or a unitary flexible sheet member 18, is preferably grooved with the circumferential groove 26 to receive the flexible band 28, which, when tightened, serves to hold the drum forming means tightly against the periphery of the backing disks 20. The term band is used broadly to include a length of flexible material of any cross section but a flat band such as is illustrated in Figure 6 is preferred. The ends of this band are overturned outwardly forming the hook like ends 30. The band is made of such length that when it is wrapped p l 1C6 Patented Feb. 9, 1960- These non-collapsible reels are not only,

around the staves or: other drum forming means, the Overturned ends 30 remain ashort distance apart as illustrated in Figure 6. The. fastening of the band is accomplished by means of a clasp member 32, Figure 8, andia strutmember 36; Figure 9; which cooperateawith one another and the ends :of'b'and 28 to produce a toggle;

joint clamp or clasp. The clasp member 32' is about twice, the length ofi the intervening space between the overturned ends of theband and is itself provided with. overturned ends 34 similar tothe ends 30 of the band.

Breferablythe clasp member 32 is made of heavier metal than band 28' to make it rigid and the strut member 36 is; ashort. rectangular rigid member which is slightly greater in length than half thedistance between the overturned ends of: the band when the band is placed around the drum forming means with the latter positioned againstthe: backing means of the assembly.

The construction and functioning of the clasp or clamp ing means are shown in Figures 10, l1- and 13. In assembling: thereel the,v staves or other drum formingmeansare placed around the backing disks 20 with the edge of'the disks received in the transverse grooves 24 and the band 28 is drawn around the external face ofthe drum forming means, in the groove 26, until the ends are-adjacent one another with the overturned end portions. 30 facing'outwardly-as illustrated in'Figure 6. The clasp member 32 with its overturned ends 34 facing downwardly isnow engaged'with one end of the band by booking one of its overturned end portions 34 under one overturned end- 30 of the band, and the strut member 36 is then inserted between the other end 30 of the band and the other overturned end 34' of clasp member 32, as is illustrated in Figure 10. Preferably the strut member 36 is inserted between the band and clasp ends while the clasp member is elevated fromthe band on one end, as shown in Figure 10, andis then rotated downwardly around itsend-which is engaged directlywith the band.

It will be seenthat during this movement the strut member-36 will exert forcein one direction directly against one end ofthe band and in the other direction indirectlyagainst theother end of the band through member 32, thus drawing the-two ends ofthe band toward'one: another and causing the stavesor other drum forming means to beheld firmly; against the peripheryof the backingdisks'20;

When the strut member 36 and'the clasp member 32 are directly superimposed over the band 28 as illustrated in Figure 11 the band is locked around the drum forming means in tension and the'force which strut mem:

ber 36-applies to the clasp member 32 serves to prevent Forunlocking the clasp means to loosen the hand and' permit the-assemblyto be disassembled when the last turn of-wire or cable is' unwound from the reel a tripping lever, illustrated'in' Figure 12, is provided. This tripping lever comprises, an intermediate portion which desirablymay be round in cross section; the end portion, 38 wh1ch extends'substantially at right angles to portion.

40 'and" is "adapted to beinsertedunder the strut member 36, between'thestrutmember and the outer surface of band 28, when the strut member 36 and the clasp member -32=are pivoted down to the position shown in Figure 1'l, and-the end portion 42 which is angularly disposed with respect to the middle portion 40 and is curvedito conform to the curvature of the drum surface. As is best seen in Figure 2, the drum forming means is providedwith-a; groove 44 extending parallel to-the axis, of the-drum-and communicatingat one end with the groove.

26,5 and; the intermediate portion. 40 of" the tripping lever-:is placediinthisgroove withith'e flattened 'end'38f positioned over the band 28 and under the strut member 36. The-intermediateportion 40-of thetripping lever is held loosely in the groove 26 by cover plate 46, which may be of any suitable material such for example as heavy cardboard, fiber or metal, and coacts with groove 44 to provide a hearing within which the trip ping lever may rotate. The end of the wire or. cable, which is to be wound on the reel in a direction oppositeto the direction in which the end portion 42: of? the tripping lever is disposed, is connected in any suitable way to the free end of the. end portion 42. Thewire-isthen wound around the drum' of the reel in successive layers of turns. When the wireor cable isunwound from; the drum'the pull exerted by the last turn of wire or cable will raise the arm 42 of the tripping lever from the surface of the drum causing its intermediate portion 40 to be rotated within groove 44 and elevating the end 38 which thus pries up the strut member 36 as illustrated in Figure 13, unclasping the clasp means and looseningthe band.28. The staves 16, 16.11" or other drum forming means. are thus freed from the pressure holding; them' against the backingdisks 20, orother" backing means, causing the whole structure" to; suddenly collapse and be disassembled:

It is contemplated that the structure... described" above, because of its inexpensivenessand the'costofreturning reelsof the-,typenow employed,.will' ordinaril'y'be used only once, and-thepartsdisposedtofias soon as thewire or'cable thereon has'been unwound. However, the parts of, a collapsed reel can of course'be reassembled. For example they could bereturned'disassembled'to the wire manufacturer by a user and the transportationcosts for shipping the disassembled partswould be materially less than for shipping a non-collapsible reel. v

There has thus been provided'an invention in which the objects enumerated above have been embodied together with many practicaladvantages.

What Iblaimis:

l; A collapsible reelfor packaging wire .or cable comprising two spaced backing disks, a. number of staves assembled' against: saiddisks to, provide a core around which to windawire or cable,.a flexible band extending around the. core including toggle; clasp. means interengaging the ends of the band andmovable. between closed position, in which it tensions the band and a portion of it closely overlies the band, and "open position in which the bandfis relieved of tension andsaid. portion is elevated from the band'and angularly related'to it, and'i means mounted on the core, and rotatablearoundlan axis parallel to the axis of the core having aportion extending underpsaid clasp and a portion. extending atright' angles to the axis-"of the core and engageablewith the trailing end of said wire orcable.

2. A collapsible device for packaging wire or cable said'backing means, including foldingtoggle clasp" means for interengaging the ends of the bandand movable be tween folded position fortensioning said band" around" the core; forming members, to unfolded inactive position,-

and a tripping lever, mounted ,on th'e surface,0f thecore for rotation around an, axis 'parallelwith the, axis or:

thecore andhaving, a body portion, a Head portion,, and a third portion,engageablewiththe trailing end. ofja wire or cable,whichjswrappedaround; thecore, means.

for rot'atably mounting thebody portion on-v thesurface of thecore with its axisgparallel tothe axis, of lsaidtcore,

saidhead portion b'eing' angularly disposedwithrespect to, the body, POItlOH'JaBd extending, under the folded jclasp means, said third portion being angularly dispcsedjwithr respecttosaid body portion. and substantially parallel tosaidhead'portion.

,3; A collapsible device Eftirl packaging, wireior cable. a

comprising two spaced backing means, a plurality of core forming members assembled against said backing means to provide a core around which to wind a wire or cable, said core forming means having transverse grooves in their outer surfaces respectively, said grooves being aligned circumferentially of the core, a flexible band extending around the core and disposed in the circumferential groove thus provided, said band including toggle clasp means interengaging the ends of said band and movable between folded position for tensioning said band around the core forming members to unfolded inactive position, a groove in the exterior surface of one of said core forming members extending parallel to the axis of the core and opening at one end into the circumferential groove, and a tripping lever comprising, a body portion, a head portion and an attachment portion for engagement with the trailing edge of the wire or cable wrapped around the core, means for rotatably mounting said body portion in the axially extending groove, said head portion being disposed substantially at right angles to the body portion within the circumferential groove and projected under said folding clasp, and said attachment portion being also disposed substantially at right angles to the body portion and substantially parallel to the head portion and extending from said axial groove in a direction around the periphery of the core and opposite to the unwinding direction of the trailing end of the wire or cable to which it is attached, whereby, as the trailing end of the wire or cable leaves the core it applies pressure on said attachment portion which serves as a crank arm to rotate the body portion and to elevate the head portion thus raising and unfolding the clasp.

4. The device claimed in claim 1 in which the clasp means comprises, a clasp member pivotally connected to the band at one end, and a strut member interposed between the other end of said clasp member and the other end of the band and pivotally related to the ends of the clasp and band respectively between which it is interposed, said clasp member being longer than the distance between the ends of the band when the latter is tightly wrapped around the core, and said strut being slightly greater in length than the distance by which the clasp exceeds the distance between the ends of the band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,517 Fleming June 5, 1906 1,003,907 Hoffman Sept. 19, 1911 1,278,495 Nobleet al. Sept. 10, 1918 1,292,895 Sinsheimer Jan. 28, 1919 2,074,217 Grauer Mar. 16, 1937 2,630,934 Elmendorf Mar. 10, 1953 

